Friday, November 19, 2010

Earlier in the year, I had posted about bedbug sniffing dogs.
According to a recent New York Times Article some doubts are being raised.

As the number of reported infestations rises and the demand for the dogs soars, complaints from people who say dogs have falsely alerted to bedbugs are also climbing. And within the bedbug industry, where some dog trainers and sellers are on back-order until next spring despite the dogs’ $11,000 price tag, there are fears that a rise in so-called false positives by dogs will harm their credibility and business.

This has led to many paying money for bedbug remediation where no signs of bedbugs ever existed prior as apartment complexes are having these dogs check every room.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

FLORENCE, Arizona — A dog named Target that lived through explosions in war-torn Afghanistan couldn't survive a brief stay at an Arizona animal shelter.

The shepherd mix was featured on "The "Oprah Winfrey Show" and local media for her heroics in Afghanistan, got loose from her owners on Friday and was put down on Monday after spending the weekend in a county shelter.

An unidentified employee at the Pinal County facility was placed on administrative leave after euthanizing the female shepherd mix by mistake, county Animal Care and Control officials said

I'm heartsick over this," Ruth Stalter, the county animal control director, said in a written statement. "I had to personally deliver the news to the dog's owner and he and his family are understandably distraught."

Stalter said that the shelter works hard to reunite lost pets with their owners and that an investigation had been launched to determine how the mistake was made.

"When it comes to euthanizing an animal, there are some clear-cut procedures to follow," Stalter said. "Based on my preliminary investigation, our employee did not follow those procedures."

Adopted by U.S. troops
Sgt. Terry Young, the owner of the dog, told The Arizona Republic, "I just can't believe that something like this would happen to such a good dog."

Target frightened a suicide bomber inside a military base and potentially saved dozens of soldiers' lives, Young said.

According to "The Oprah Winfrey Show" website, Target and two other stray dogs, Sasha and Rufus, were adopted by U.S. troops in Afghanistan after wandering into a military compound there.

The three dogs were hailed as heroes after attacking a suicide bomber who entered the compound, apparently headed toward barracks with some 50 soldiers inside.

Story: Dog that 'came back to life' gets new home
Story: Botched euthanasia leaves dog owner in quandary

Sasha was badly injured when the bomber detonated an explosive device and had to be euthanized, but Target and Rufus survived and were brought home with soldiers returning from their tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Young said the dog was treated like royalty at the base at Dand Patan, near the Pakistan border. Target was brought to the San Tan Valley area southeast of Phoenix in August, when Young returned home.

"He had personally been profoundly affected by this dog's heroism and had worked very hard to bring the dog back over here," Pinal County spokeswoman Heather Murphy said.

After the dog escaped from the family's back yard Friday, Young put out online notices and contacted TV stations that did reports on the missing hero dog.

A neighbor found Target wandering later Friday, put her in his back yard and called the pound. The dog did not have a microchip or tag.

On Friday night, Young found Target's picture on a website used by Pinal County's dog catchers to help owners track lost pets. Young figured the shelter was closed for the night and weekend.

He showed up at the shelter in Casa Grande to claim his dog on Monday, only to find out she was dead.

County officials say the employee mistakenly took the dog out of its pen Monday morning and euthanized it.

The Republic said Young and his family will get Target's cremated remains.

Monday, November 8, 2010

If you've ever wondered why dogs turn around several times before flopping down on the floor, the answer is simple genetics. They've been genetically programmed to trample their sleeping areas in the wild so that the grass is tamped down to make a comfortable resting place.

Although your dog have the finest dog bed money can buy, he still feels the urge to circle before lying down, even in the comfort of the modern home. It's nature at work. Nature is the reason dogs gobble their food. The most successful survivors were able to eat fast before other members of the pack could grab a share. Wild dog cousins didn't know when his next meal would come, so being the fastest gorger was a real advantage.

About Me

I’ve always had pets. Growing up it was a dog, some cats, and a fish tank. As I got older and moved out on my own, I always took the fish with me. The urge for a new puppy kept grabbing hold. After months of research and searching, we found Rocco…a Lhasa Apso/Japanese Chin mix. Different, you say? Well, nothing like we’ve ever seen. But a great dog with lots of energy. A year later, we adopted Kelso, a pup who had bounced around to a few different homes before we took him in and gave him a permanent place to live.
Disclaimer:
This site is for entertainment purposes. We try to provide tips based on research, but we encourage you to do your own research. The opinions expressed are from the authors and if your pet needs medical advice, we suggest speaking to your vet.